Electrical charge generating and retaining electric shaver head



July 24, 1962 R. J. BERMINGHAM 3,045,345

ELECTRICAL CHARGE GENERATING AND RETAINING ELECTRIC SHAVER HEAD Filed Feb. 12, 1959 5 w 22 T L i 42 20 j 46 /Z I, 40

INVENTOR. PAY/ 10m; J BERM/NGHAM 14 TTO/PNE 75 United States This invention relates to an improvement in electric shaver heads and more particularly to shaver heads as used in the dry shaver type of razor having a motoroperated cutter member reciprocatingly or otherwise movable relative to a stationary shear plate.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved shaver head for a razor of the above category which, when moved in contact with the users skin, is adapted to generate and retain a static electrical charge to provide a hair-lifting effect whereby individual hairs will be set into optimum cutting position in the path of the shaver head during its operative movement.

It is a further important object to provide an improved shaver head which may be used in existing razors and one which is both pleasing to the eye and simple of construction and manufacture.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved shaver head which obviates the discomfort many people who suffer from allergies experience when a metallic object comes into contact with the skin of the face.

It is another object of the invention to provide an im.

proved shaver head which is adapted to be employed either with single or multiple-head electric dry shavers.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects thereof, reference is bad to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In accordance with the invention, the improved shaver head comprises a cutter member in combination with a shear plate wherein at least the shear plate is made of a comprised of a base 12 having a shear plate 14. Shear plate 14 is a relatively thin member of U-shaped cross section with the legs of the U attached to base 12. It will be understood that plate 14 may be formed integral with base 12. Plate 14 is provided with a plurality of hair receiving openings 16 communicating the outer surface of plate 14 with the interior space 18 formed by the shear plate 14 and base 12. The inner surface of shear plate 14 remote of base 12 is arcuate and concentric with the outer semi-cylindrical surface of plate 14. A'cutter member 20 is positioned within space 18 in movable relation to base 12 and plate 14. Cutter member 20 may conveniently be tubular in shape and of a size sufiicient to provide mating slidable contact with the arcuate interior surface of plate 14. The'surface of cutter member 20 mating with plate 14 is provided with a plurality of openings 22 of similar size and shape as openings 16 in plate 14. Part of the openings 22 may be off-set from at least part of the openings 16 axially along the tube comprising cutter 20. The openings 22 communicate the central opening of tubular cutter 20 into which the cut hairs fall as they are cut by the shearing acting between atet 'therebetween.

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shear plate 14 and cutter 20 upon relative movement As best seen in FIGURE 1, a pair of bores 24 and 26 may be provided in base 12 with a ball bearing and the like 28 and 30 positioned within each bore and biased against cutter member 20 by means of springs 32 and 34. The bores 24 and 26 may be plugged at one end by means of plugs 36 and 38.

Base 12 is provided with a central opening 40 and cutter member is provided with a central opening 42 in alignment with opening 40 in base 12 of somewhat smaller diameter. The driving mechanism, except for the reciprocaitng actuator 44 is omitted since such mechanism is well-known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in "detail for the purposes of this application. Actuator 44 is seen to pass through opening 40 of base 12 which is of a diameter sufiicient to permit the necessary movement thereof. The upper end of actuator is seen to be positioned within opening 42 of cutter 20. As the actuator 44 is reciprocated from side to side, FIGURE 1, this motion is imparted to cutter 20 which moves relative to shear plate 14.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, base 12 and shear plate 14 are constructed of a dielectric material and cutter 2% is constructed of a conductor. Actuator 44 is provided with an annular ring 46 of insulating material and positioned in contact with cutter 24 It has been found that where shear plate 14 is constructed of a dielectric material adapted to develop a static electrical charge, a charge is developed and retained therein on being brought into rubbing contact wth the skin. The purpose of insulator ring 46'is to prevent the accumulated charge from leaking off to the actuating mechanism and being dissipated. Alternately, a collar of insulation material (not shown) may be inserted in opening 42 of a size sufficient to receive actuator and be a part of cutter 20. The static charge built up in the head 10 is found to provide an attracting force for the hairs to be cut and tends to set them into optimum cutting position in the path of the shearer head during its operative movement.

While many dielectric materials are suitable for the purpose of developing a static electrical charge, it is further required that the dielectric material have a surface hardness comparable with steel, in order to maintain a sharp edge over an exended period of use. Several such dielectric materials are now available, such as Pyroceram, a trade name for a heat treated glass ceramic developed by the Corning Glass Works of Coming, New York. Using the Vickers Diamond Pyramid test at 500 grams, load, the hardness of Pyroceram is 618 or approximately equal to Rockwell C54. This material in 7 addition to providing the requisite mechanical characteristics generates and retains static electricity generated by friction. Other dielectric materials having similar physical and electrical properties as Pyroceram are contemplated to be used in carrying out the teachings of the instant invention.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, the same parts are identified by the same numbers as in FIGURES l and 2, but followed by a suflix a. For example, the base is identified by the reference numeral 12a. The shaver head 10a of FIGURES 3 and 4 is provided with a cutter 43 of a dielectric material having similar electrical and physical properties as the dielectric material used in shear plate 14a. In this instance, the insulator ring 46, FIG- URE l, is not required. The construction of head 10a provides an increase in generation and retention of the static charge but is somewhat more expensive to manufacture than head 10.

Following the teaching of the present invention, there is provided an improved shaver head which has all the selfsharpening features and durability of prior art shaver heads and in addition provides means of developing a 3 static charge to attract the hairs to be cut. The attraction of this charge provides a cleaner shave and for those individuals whose skin is subject to irritation by the contact of a metal shear plate, this irritation is obviated.

Although the above described embodiments disclose the invention as applied to single head shavers, it is to be understood that the invention may be applied with equal success to multi-head shavers. Further, the invention may be applied to heads of shapes other than that shown and to other designs. For example, the shear plate may be provided with a plurality of minute holes and a cutter bar be reciprocated across the holes in a sweeping action and the like.

While there have been described what at present are considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention. It is aimed therefore, in the appended claim, to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

An electric shaver head comprising in combination, a cutter member adapted to be driven and a shear member, at least one of which being of a heat treated glass ceramic 4 which when in frictional contact with human epidermis generates and retains a static electrical charge thereon, said generating member being electrical conducting, having a hard and wear resistant surface, the combination further including electrical insulating means, positioned and arranged to insulate the generating member from the driving mechanism of an electric shaver to which it is attached to prevent the generated charge from leaking off.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,318 White Jan. 14, 1919 1,864,995 Frost June 28, 1932 2,040,345 Taylor May 12, 1936 2,063,808 Henderson et al. Dec. 8, 1936 2,088,934 Van Den Berghen Aug. 3, 1937 2,242,405 Sussman May 20, 1941 2,285,015 Camfield June 2, 1942 2,789,346 Algier et al Apr. 23, 1957 2,920,971 Stookey Jan. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 252,844 Switzerland Jan. 31, 1948 889,618 France Oct. 11, 1943 

